The search for Scotland’s best-kept secret ingredient: Kingdom of Fife
With a coastline of 117 miles and a strong fishing heritage, it’s no wonder the Kingdom of Fife produces an abundance of quality seafood. If you find yourself in one of the East Neuk’s quaint wee fishing villages, you can take your pick from the boats hauling in a daily catch of prawns, crab and lobster.
The crabs from the East Neuk are such great quality I used them on the Great British Menu. I’ve also got them on the menu at restaurant just now in this beautiful Crab Cannelloni dish.
And Fife’s fertile soil also yields some wonderful crops. At Cairnie Fruit Farm near Cupar you can pick your own strawberries, raspberries, black and redcurrants, gooseberries, tayberries, brambles and cherries. That’s a lot of berries. And potential for a lot of jam!
Further inland you’ll find locally-grown plums, apples and pears from the historic orchards surrounding the town of Newburgh on the banks of the Tay. They’ve been producing fruit for hundreds of years and during the autumn, it’s well worth visiting one of the markets to sample and buy some of the oldest varieties available in Scotland.
To get a true flavour of Fife, visit the farmers’ markets that take place every Saturday on rotation in Kirkcaldy, St Andrews, Dunfermline and Cupar.
You’ll discover some unique products in Fife too - like buffalo from Puddledub, Scotland’s largest buffalo farm, and cheese from the St Andrews Farmhouse Cheese Company near Pittenweem. There’s even a chilli farm near Ceres, a really innovative venture for Scotland. Oh, I think I’ve mentioned most of the ingredients right there for a Scottish Buffalo chilli con carne!
And what could be nicer to go with a spicy Fife stew than a locally-produced beer. The St Andrews Brewing Company and the Eden Brewery make a large range between them – too many to list here – but worth investigating of you’re a beer fan.
Have I got you thinking about your favourite product from Fife? Or anywhere in Scotland for that matter? If the answer is yes, email me to let me know what the product is, and describe how you use it.
Email me at secret@eatdrinkdiscoverscotland.co.uk before Friday 15th August 2014and you could be in with a chance of being selected to join me in a cook-off at Eat Drink Discover Scotland.
Visit www.eatdrinkdiscoverscotland.co.uk for terms and conditions.
Join me as I explore Edinburgh and the Lothians next week.
Eat Drink Discover Scotland, which is taking place at the Royal Highland Centre between 12th and 14th September, will bring to life the rich diversity of Scotland’s brimming larder by featuring exhibitors from the length and breath of the country. One for the foodies, it will be offering something for every palate, plate and price range and with a regional focus, it will be providing opportunities for smaller rural food producers to share centre stage with more established brands. The weekend will also include demonstrations and masterclasses such as chocolate workshops, cocktail making, game butchery and craft bakery.
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